Boy band JLS have just announced a huge gig at the Leeds First Direct Arena as part of a new UK tour.
The Everybody in Love singers will be heading out on a new tour, The Club Is Alive Tour, this autumn.
Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill shared the exiting news of the new tour dates this afternoon.
JLS will be performing at cities including Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield, as they head to arenas right across the UK.
And support will come from fellow noughties legend Example, who’s behind massive songs like Last Ones Standing, Kickstarts, and Changed The Way You Kiss Me.
JLS formed on the X Factor back in 2008, when they placed as runners-up to Alexandra Burke.
Then they went on to release five chart-topping angles and hit singles like Everybody in Love, She Makes Me Wanna, and One Shot.
The group parted ways in 2013 but reunited for a huge Beat Again tour in 2021.
And now they’re back again, heading to the First Direct Arena this November.
Announcing the news this afternoon, they said: “It’s official! We’re hitting the road this year for “The Club Is Alive Tour” with our very special guests Example.
“Get all the info on JLSofficial.com and make sure to click the link and sign up for presale access to tickets. If you miss that, tickets will go on sale to the public on March 28th at 10 AM.”
Two R&B greats are heading out on a joint headline tour for the very first time, as Ne-Yo and Akon announced the Nights Like This global tour.
Both artists are Grammy Award winners, and each has a formidable back catalogue of chart-topping hits.
For Ne-Yo, that includes songs like Miss Independent, So Sick, and Closer; while for Akon, he's responsible for huge tracks like Smack That, Lonelty, and Right Now (Na Na Na).
Between them, they've shaped and defined radio, nightlife, and pop culture for decades.
This newly-announced tour will see the pair performing on the same stage - for Leeds, that's the First Direct Bank Arena.
They'll perform in a unique back-and-forth set throughout the show, visiting venues right across the UK and Europe, as well as heading across to the USA and Canada.
The nostalgic gigs will feature everything from slow jams to club anthems, with a party atmosphere throughout.
Ne-Yo and Akon will perform at the First Direct Bank Arena on Thursday 30 April 2026, with tickets on sale this Friday 30 January at 10am.
There will be an artist pre-sale on Wednesday 28 January at 10am.
Nights Like This EU/UK 2026 tour dates
Fri 24 Apr – Dublin, IE – 3Arena
Mon 27 Apr – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena Newcastle
Tue 28 Apr – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Thu 30 Apr – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Fri 1 May – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Mon 4 May – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena Birmingham
Loyle Carner to headline Kirkstall Abbey as part of new all-day music event
Clementine Hall
Loyle Carner has been announced as the headliner for ‘Above All Else’ a new curated event that will form part of the Live at Kirkstall Abbey concert series.
Boy oh boy are we excited about this one.
An all-day celebration of music and culture is coming to Kirkstall Abbey, ‘Above All Else’ is a new event from independent Leeds promoters Futuresound with forward-thinking curation at its heart.
And who better to headline its debut than Loyle Carner.
Released last summer, Loyle Carner’s fourth full-length album Hopefully! reasserted his position at the forefront of the UK’s emotionally-charged hip hop movement.
Images: Supplied
First finding his voice in 2013 with the A Little Late EP, it was Loyle Carner’s debut album 2017’s Yesterday’s Gone that brought the artist to national attention and earned himself a Mercury Music Prize nomination and BRIT award nominations for British Breakthrough Act and British Male Solo Artist at just 23 years old.
Joining Loyle Carner at ‘Above All Else’ will be a full supporting line-up including acclaimed Grammy and Ivor-Novello award nominated songwriter Jordan Rakei and Kokoroko, the London based sextet.
Completing the line-up is much-hyped Birmingham rapper Kofi Stone and rising Dublin collective Bricknasty.
Also announced for Live At Kirkstall Abbey 2026 are revered British multi-hyphenates The Streets, reunited Leeds indie heroes The Sunshine Underground, art rock royalty The Maccabees will be performing their only northern gig and the hugely successful Kirkstall Abbey Comedy Festival is gearing up for a return featuring Dara Ó’Brien, Jason Manford, Lucy Beamount and more.
Kirkstall postcode pre-sale for local residents (LS4, LS5, LS13 & LS18) will open at 10am on Wednesday 28 January here with general sale opening at 10am on Friday 30 January here.
Daisy Jackson -
21st March 2025 
